US, PHL air forces forge camaraderie with rural Palawan community

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 23): US, PHL air forces forge camaraderie with rural Palawan community

One can have no better friend and no worse enemy than a United States Air Force (USAF).

For many in Puerto Princesa, they understand the benefits of such a friendship, thanks to the efforts of the service members who participated in Pacific Unity 2013, an annual joint humanitarian assistance mission.

Pacific Unity had two main efforts: medical and engineering. While medical professionals helped heal Filipino civilians, military engineers built a two-room school building in Virgilio Magbanua Elem. School in barangay San Pedro.

The medical portion of the operation was held in Barangay San Jose multipurpose hall. Military doctors and nurses from the Western Command, the Naval Forces West and the US Pacific Air Force treated more than 1,000 patients.

Engineers with the 18th Civil Engineer Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan of the US Pacific Air Force and the 570th Composite Tactical Wing, Antonio Bautista Air Base in Puerto Princesa City worked together and shared their knowledge of construction projects.

Classroom at the Virgilio Magbanua Memorial Elementary School in San Pedro was renovated, and one brand new building was constructed from the ground up through the hard work, dedication and teamwork of these Airmen, and local contractors.

Pacific Unity is a bilateral Engineering Civic Action Program (ENCAP) conducted in the Asia-Pacific region in collaboration with host nation civil authorities and military personnel under the direction and coordination of 18th Civil Engineer Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan.

“It is one thing to see USAF Airmen working hand-in-hand with PAF Airmen and to know that this relationship helps build peace and stability in the region. It generates an entirely different sort of emotion to hear about what it means to these Airmen and contractors and their community,” said MSgt. Steven Cordova, NCOIC of the 18CES.

“We went out to three different job sites,” Cordova said. “Each [site] had a number of different branches in it. We had a good opportunity to not just learn about the militaries of other countries but the other services as well.”

He said the schools that were repaired were in dire need of renovation.

They had no walls, electricity or windows, and the concrete fences around the campuses had dangerous rebar sticking out.

“Before [the work began] there were no walls,” Cordova said. “After, it had electricity, walls with fresh paint, fans and windows. It was a complete 180.”

“[The Filipinos] were very excited and thankful that we were there. The locals were very helpful,” he said. “[Pacific Unity 2013] was pretty heartwarming. It wasn’t so much the work we were doing but the time we spent with the people is what made it such a great experience.”

The US PAF used their experience as combat engineers to repair the dilapidated school.

Because of their integration into the other services, it was both a chance for them to learn and to teach their methodology of engineering.

“Instead of going out and doing something for training purposes, I was actually out there using my expertise,” said Cordova. “I was taking what I learned from the military and using it to help out a community.”

Each team of about 20 engineers took about 28 days working on the repair and construction. In that time, the locals treated the service members like family, Cordova said.

“It was a short amount of time, but the biggest thing for me was getting to know the people there,” he said.

“You got a chance to talk to them and learn from them.”

For the American airmen, the trip was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and a truly rewarding experience.

“I loved it,” said Cordova.

“I wish I could do it again because it was so rewarding helping those little kids out. When we left, the kids were crying, because they didn’t want us to leave.”

Pacific Unity 2013 is also a bilateral and joint engineering civic action program in cooperation with the city government, the Department of Education Puerto Princesa City District, and the Palawan-based Philippine Air Force 570th Composite Tactical Wing.

The AFP through the Western Command (Wescom) will provide personnel and mission-essential equipment in the conduct of the HCA/CMO.

Last year, over 20,000 residents of Samar benefited in the Pacific Partnership 2012, the largest annual humanitarian and civic assistance mission in the Pacific sponsored by the US Pacific Fleet.

The Pacific Unity 12-6 conducted in August 2012 in northern Luzon benefited at least 50,000 residents of the area.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=10&sid=&nid=10&rid=568588